Starport Zaragoza!

 It is a day when we edge closer a Zaragoza airport.  We are tiptoeing through the clusters of farms and hamlets of semi-suburban villas and cottages.  Let us talk airport.




The Cold War saved General Franco.  From Hitler fanboy, he was transformed into the bulwark against Communism.  Not the sort of chap you would invite back to meet the wife, but someone you may have a drink with in the bar.  One of the results of El Caudillo learning to play golf and being part of the ‘Ike Appreciation Society’ was the building of some airbases…. In places like Zaragoza,the others being Torrejón Air Base near Madrid and Morón Air Base near Seville.



The construction work on Zaragoza Airport began in September 1954 with the enlargement and improvement of the existing Spanish Air Force Base located there. United States Navy engineers upgraded the facility for temporary or intermediate use as a war standby base. The first U.S. construction project included strengthening the existing 3,024 m runway and adding 304 m overruns at each end. Work on a new concrete runway, 61 by 3,718 metres with 61 m overruns at each end, began in 1956 and was completed in 1958.



The reform of the airport to adapt it to the greater flow of passengers expected at the Zaragoza 2008 International Exposition began the second week of May 2006 and lasted until March 2008 (despite the fact that its opening was expected for January 20, 2008).




The airport was also used by NASA as a contingency landing site for the Space Shuttle in the case of a Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL)



Currently the airport has space for 1030 cars to park, 28 extras may stop quickly before passing on.  The taxi desiring passenegr will be relieved to know there is parking for 60 cabs.

In 2022 the most popular place people came to Zaragoze from was Palma de Mallorca.[108,000].  London-Stansted Was next [71,000] and Tenerfie was third.  Bucharest was 4th and Vienna 10th.











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